Artisan breads are somewhat recession-proof. Of the three main markets for artisan breads (nice restaurants, grocery stores, and retail bakeries), nice restaurants are the only customers that decrease their orders. Actually, many bakery owners report that their business increases during recessions because their customers start indulging in small luxuries, like artisan pastries, instead of extravagant purchases.

The shelf life of artisan bread is shorter, but the well-being of the customer lasts longer.

The simplest way to meet the shelf-life challenge and satisfy customers is to make smaller loaves. We constantly hear from consumers who want smaller loaves or partial loaves because they don’t like throwing out their uneaten bread.

You can also tell consumers about a simple way they can preserve their bread:
1) pre-slice the bread
2) place it in the freezer in a sealed plastic bag
3) remove and toast only the number of slices to be eaten at that time.

As a baker, you can extend the shelf life of a bread in a number of ways: 1) add preferments to increase dough acidity; 2) increase the water content of the dough; 3) slightly raise the salt content of the dough; 4) resist overmixing the dough; 5) bake the bread properly, with a thick crust that traps moisture in the crumb.

Of course, the best way to guarantee the freshness of the bread is to make it so good that your customers consume the entire loaf before they go to bed.

Not at all. Great, small, neighborhood artisan bakeries are strongly supported by their communities in small towns, suburbs, and cities. Sometimes small town communities become so attached to the local bakery that they insist the baker find a good successor before he or she retires!

What we have to improve is accessibility to artisan bread – not geographically, but socially. Artisan bread is for everyone, not just the middle and upper classes that make up the lions share of the artisan bread market.

Whole grain breads are rapidly gaining in popularity because they offer high fiber and fantastic flavor. These breads are usually baked in loaf pans or shaped as batards. Whole grain breads are made with a variety of flours, ranging from our old standbys – wheat, barley, oats, and rye – to truly ancient grains like quinoa, millet, and sorghum.

A growing number of consumers need bread that meets their restrictive dietary needs. We frequently receive requests to teach courses and develop products that are gluten and allergy-free, or that rank low on the glycemic index. Interesting flours that are gaining popularity include ancient grains such as quinoa, millet, sorghum, amaranth, and teff, as well as buckwheat, rice, chickpea, and corn. These breads are also usually baked in loaf pans or shaped as batards.